Zelensky: Russia Seeks to Deploy Another 30,000 North Korean Troops and Additional Ballistic Missiles

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky reported that Russia is seeking an additional 30,000 troops from North Korea, with preparations already underway to accommodate them in Russia’s Voronezh region.

In his evening address, Zelensky also noted that North Korea is preparing to supply Russia with additional ballistic missile launchers, likely along with missiles and ammunition.

“This is a threat not only to Ukraine. Russia is helping North Korea learn how to wage war, improving its weapons, and giving it experience in the real-world use of weapons. All of this poses a threat to everyone in Asia who is within the range of North Korean missiles. We will respond,” he said.

The deployment of additional North Korean troops to support Russian forces is becoming increasingly significant as Russia’s military recruitment campaign continues to fall short.

In July 2026, Russia has already used more ballistic missiles than it can produce in a single month. By July 19, Russian forces had launched 107 ballistic missiles and 20 3M22 Zircon missiles since the start of the month.

According to the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine, Russia produces around 100 ballistic missiles per month in 2026: approximately 60 9M723 missiles for the Iskander-M system and about 40 RM-48U missiles launched from S-400 systems.

Meanwhile, in 2026 Russia plans to produce only 30 3M22 Zircon missiles. This means that in just 19 days, Russia has used two-thirds of its planned annual production of missiles of this type.